Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro Slams Greta Thunberg, Calls Her 'Brat'

Greta Thunberg has been ruffling a few feathers lately due to her advocacies. The teenage activist was recently labeled as a “brat” by Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro when she aired her concern over deaths in the Amazon.

Bolsonaro slammed the 16-year-old Thunberg when she expressed her concern over the killings of indigenous people and the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, Daily Mail reported. “Greta said that the Indians died because they were defending the Amazon,” the Brazilian leader told journalists on Tuesday.

The Brazilian president also commented on the enormous attention the media has given Thunberg. “It’s impressive that the press is giving space to a brat like that,” Bolsonaro added, using the Portuguese word “pirralha” to describe the teenager, according to Time.

Apparently, Thurnberg was made aware of the comments Bolsonaro made to journalists. In response, the activist immediately edited her Twitter profile bio and added the word “Pirralha.”

Previously, the teenage activist used her social media account to express her concern over deaths in Amazon as well as its deforestation. “Indigenous people are being literally murdered for trying to protect the forrest (sic) from illegal deforestation,” Thunberg posted on her Twitter account. “Over and over again.”

She also expressed concern over the international community’s seeming inaction on the issue. “It is shameful that the world remains silent about this.”

Two men from eastern Amazon’s Guajajara tribe perished on Saturday in a drive-by shooting. There are speculations that their deaths might be related to the last month’s death of a prominent tribesman who was known as a defender of the Amazon forest.

Her comments were well-timed as Brazil’s environmental policies have been criticized in the U.N.’s international climate change conference. Environmentalists are alarmed as deforestation reportedly rose to almost 30 percent in just 12 months.

Thunberg also earned a few sarcastic remarks from the U.S. President Donald Trump after her UN speech about climate change. “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” Trump commented.

The teenage activist has become the latest symbol for the world’s youth who are pushing for reforms to combat climate change. Her angry glare at Trump as he walked into the climate summit even went viral.